Catheters are used in many medical applications and procedures, such as catheter ablation, urinary catheterization, angioplasty, and internal pressure measurements. The packaging of the catheters typically has to comply with multiple requirements.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,727, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a catheter packaging system that includes a catheter tray having a main tray body with a hub-retaining portion and an interchangeable catheter tip-retaining insert. The insert is selectively receivable within a corresponding recess in the main tray body. The main tray body and the interchangeable insert each include a plurality of catheter tracks for holding different catheters with at least one catheter tip track of the interchangeable insert being in line with a main body track for holding a catheter therein. Each main body track is provided with a hub-retaining slot for engaging and holding a catheter hub.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,121, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a generally flat packaging tray for containing an elongated catheter device in an ordered coiled arrangement. The tray includes a recessed channel system formed within and including a plurality of spaced generally parallel, level, generally linear channel sections of two different depths joined by a plurality of arcuate channel sections some of which are inclined between the two depths and are configured to contain catheter devices of a variety of lengths and French sizes nested therein in a coiled arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,892,881, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a packaging system for an elongate medical device that includes a sheet of material which defines a generally planar surface for receiving the elongated medical device thereon. A plurality of butterfly tabs are adhesively attached to the planar surface at selected locations to retain the medical device in position. The butterfly tabs are stated to eliminate weaving of catheters onto mounting cards having tabs punched therethrough.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,631,935, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a tray for accommodating a coiled medical device, such as a catheter assembly, which includes a first compartment, a second compartment, and a third compartment. The catheter assembly and devices associated with a catheterization procedure, such as syringes containing sterile water and lubricating jelly and a specimen container can be disposed within the tray. A first barrier and second barrier separate the compartments. The barriers can have openings therein to accommodate large syringes or to enable the first compartment to be used as a lubricant applicator for the catheter. The first compartment can include a stair-stepped contour such that the syringes are held at different depths to facilitate ease of use. The various devices can be disposed within the tray in accordance with their order of use in the catheterization procedure.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,662,306, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes how different length and diameter size catheters may be packaged in a universal catheter tray assembly that utilizes identical base trays. Catheter size selectors, which include a size indicium formed therein, are snap connected to the base tray and define at least a portion of a catheter capture channel with an opening width corresponding to the size indicium. The universal catheter tray assembly is configured for packaging a catheter with a size corresponding to the size indicium and with any one of a plurality of tip shapes such that first and second segments of the catheter are confined in first and second catheter capture channels, respectively.
Documents incorporated by reference in the present patent application are to be considered an integral part of the application except that, to the extent that any terms are defined in these incorporated documents in a manner that conflicts with definitions made explicitly or implicitly in the present specification, only the definitions in the present specification should be considered.